The Highlands and Islands Development Board (HIDB) is developing a strategy for the production and marketing of high health breeding sheep. Farmers and crofters in the North of Scotland, with HIDB support, have formed the Highlands and Islands Sheep Health Association (HISHA) to produce and market high health sheep. HISHA has over 500 members with a total of 250,000 breeding ewes. Members’ flocks are monitored by the Scottish Veterinary Investigation Service for Enzootic Abortion of Ewes (EAE) and for vaccination against Clostridial Diseases and Pasteurella. A requirement for information on the sheep health concerns and experiences of the potential purchasers of high health breeding sheep was identified. A survey was undertaken of lowground sheep farmers in Grampian and the Borders of Scotland to provide this information.

The objectives were to determine, firstly, lowground sheep farmers’ concerns on sheep health; secondly, their experience of sheep disease problems; and thirdly, their awareness of sheep diseases that can be introduced by wintering sheep for another farmer or through purchased sheep. The survey was carried out by postal questionnaire and the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland (DAFS) prepared a mailing list from their census records. The DAFS also undertook the despatch and receipt of the questionnaires to preserve farmer confidentiality. The data was analysed using the Scientific Information Retrieval Data Base Management Systems analytical package.